MANILA, Philippines — It may be time for Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno to consider leaving the government given all the controversy that has hounded him, according to Agham party list Rep. Angelo Palmones who has vowed to continue the investigations he started into the allegedly questionable Philippine National Police purchase of P1 billion worth of pistols.

Palmones thinks Puno should not be appointed to another position in government after he leaves the Department of Interior and Local Government.

Palmones in July sought an investigation into the PNP’s procurement of 60,000 pistols, and he said on Monday, he would want to resume the probe after the passage of the national budget at the House of Representatives.

Puno, who oversees the PNP, supposedly fast-tracked the PNP firearms contract before the new DILG secretary Mar Roxas could assume office, according to a losing bidder. The interior undersecretary also made headlines earlier when he allegedly tried to enter the condominium unit of the late DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo a day after the latter’s plane crashed.

“After the reports that we received about the rifles and the pistols and again the question surrounding his attempt to enter the condominium unit of Secretary [Jesse] Robrerdo, the doubt is there,” Palmones told reporters on Monday.

Besides, he said nobody in government should be considered indispensable and the country had a lot of good, trustworthy leaders.

Asked if he thought Puno should just resign, the party list lawmaker said a true friend would know when to make an exit.

“A true friend who sees himself becoming a headache would volunteer to leave out of delicadeza,” he said.

He added that anybody could continue helping the government even if he or she was not in public office.

Palmones also said he would like to continue probing the PNP’s pistol procurement after he received information that part of the shipment was already in the country early this month, just a few days after the deal was firmed up.

Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines.

Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of INQUIRER.net. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.

http://profile.yahoo.com/BFQWTB3Z6DK76IWGHUMC4NO5JY Isang Pilipino

It’s high time that Rico Puno totally quit government service.

If he stays in spite of all the controversies surrounding him, it will greatly affect the credibility and respectability of the president.

No sacred cows. No one is indispensable in an organization. Leave the president and government service, Mr. Puno!

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_DMQA5JDNNAY3CTREKDGKPNQD6A ronie

as llamas said ‘only pnoy can remove me from office’.

TuwadNaDaan

WAG NYONG ILAGLAG ANG AKING KABARILAN….KKK

Joseph Jose

delicadeza?….. puno pls listen …..

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_5UOZM4PWIDKO7G64HL3PPMXUTM Constantine

How will Puno resign when the group of Paquito Ochoa, Sonny Coloma, Chiz Escudero and Peping Cojuangco are egging him to stay? These are the people who all belong to the Samar group who back up Rico Puno!

malek_abdul

“Puno urged to quit gov’t due to controversies” – He will not quit! “Delicadesa” is not practiced in the Philippines. Karamihan sa mga taong gobyerno at politico ay walang kabusugan.

dequis

tumatawa sa picture ang sarap upakan

http://profile.yahoo.com/MWZ5O4SRF7VZW3PUYC2OBQB5KU Arnel

if npa is planning to re-activate abb liquidation squad, puno will exceed the qualifications..

No way Puno will step away from the government. Money is too good and his connection is so high.

The Administration barely has anything against on the former President yet they hunt her like cattle. Puno has all these questions regarding his anomalous transactions and the President protects him like fine China.

Something doesn’t add up here.

The President makes all these claims about his anti-corruption campaign. I guess it was all a hoax!